Wire-stretcher.



No. 643,24l. Patented Feb. l3, IBM. 6. H. SNlV-ELY.

WIRE STBETCHER.

(Application filed Oct. 29, 1898.) (N 0 M o d e I gj CHARLES H. SNIVELY, OF SUNBURY, PENNSYLVANIA.

WIRE-STRETCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,241, dated February 13, 1900..

Application filed October 29,1898. Serial No. 694,940. (No model.)

To all 111100722 it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES HENRY SNIVELY, ofSunbury, in the county of Northumberland, in the State of Pennsy1vania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Stretchers, whereof the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates generally to devices whereby the strands comprising the longitudinal members of a wire-fence structure may be drawn to the desired tension upon their supporting-posts, and more particularly to stretchers of the class adapted for permanent embodiment in the fence structure.

Although a comparatively uniform tension of the respective strands may be primarily secured by a portable stretcher and the sepa rate strands be fixed to the various posts, yet the individual strands may unequally relax after being in position for a short time and the fence as a whole not only lose the neat appearance dependent upon the uniform re lation of the separate strands, but the stability of the entire fence structure be endangered by the unequal drag upon the individual posts.

It is the object of my present invention to provide a device which may not only be used to secure the primary tension of the strand in the erection of the fence, but may also be inserted in a fence comprising wires or strands not at a uniform tension and be therein used to secure the desired uniformity of tension in the separate strands.

To this end my invention comprises a rotary shaft mounted in suitable bearings for support from a fence-post and provided with means to separately and detachably engage the respective strands of the fence, means being also provided to adjust said shaft in any desired position of rotation with respect to said bearings.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows in perspective a convenient embodiment of my invention in position upon a fencepost, the rotary shaft being in engagement with the respective wires of the fence structure. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail View of the head bearing-bracket for the rotary shaft. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the head of the rotary shaft, showing its construction in detail. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the ratchet-wheel adapted for fixed engagement upon the head of the shaft.

In said figures, A is a fence comprising strands a a.

A is the fence-post, provided with the stretcher, the vertical shaft B of which is mounted for rotation in the head bearingbracket C and the foot bearing-bracket D,

both of said brackets being fixedly secured upon the fence-post A. The shaft B is provided with hooks Z), which are each adapted to detachably engage a single strand a of the fence A. The shaft B is provided with a squared enlargement B to afford a convenient hold for an ordinary wrench. 'Ihe extremity of said shaft projecting through the bearingbracket 0 is also shaped, as indicated at 13 for engagement with the crank-wrench E. The ratchet-wheel F rests upon the upper shoulder of the shaft enlargement B and is rotatively fixed thereon by the spline f. Said ratchet-wheel F is inclosed by the depending flange c of the bearing-bracket O, in which is a seat 0 for the fulcrum g of the pawl G. Said pawl G is normally thrust into engagement with the ratchet-wheel F by the spring 9, but may be disengaged therefrom by means of the pawl-arm G, which projects through the circumferential slot 0 in the bracket-flange 0. Accidental displacement of the pawl G is prevented by the engagement of its arm G in said slot 0 In operation the fence-strands a a may be stretched as uniformly as convenient by hand and loosely supported for two or three hundred feet upon each side of the post A, provided with my improved stretcher. All of the strands a may then be tightened by the insertion of the respective strands between the hooks h and the body of the shaft B, as indicated in Fig. 1, rotation of said shaft serving to wrap each strand upon the shaft B, as indicated in Fig. 3. It is obvious, however, that the several strands may be tightened singly in succession in accordance with their relative slacknessuntil each strand is engaged with its respective hook 6 upon the shaft B and all of said strands are brought to a uniform tension, the pawl G serving to prevent reverse movement of said shaft. When, however, for any reason it is desired to unwrap the strands a from the shaft B, the pawl G may be disengaged by pressure upon its projecting arm G, and any one or all of said strands amay be readily detached from the hooks b by uplifting them, the peculiar shape of said hooks facilitating such disengagement.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction which I have shown and described.

I claim- 1. In a fence-stretcher, the combination with a rotary shaft provided with means to detachably engage the respective longitudinal strands of the fence, of a ratchet-wheel secured upon said shaft, a bracket provided with a journal for one extremity of said shaft, and a downwardly-depending annular flange inclosing said ratchet-wheel, a pawl pivoted in said inclosing flange for engagement with said ratchet, a spring to normally thrust said pawl into engagement with'said ratchet, and an arm upon said pawl extending through said flange, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a fence-stretcher, the combination with a rotary shaft provided with means to engage the strands of a fence, of two brackets provided with bearings for the respective ends of said shaft, a ratchet-wheel detachably secured upon one extremity of said shaft, an annular flange upon one of said brackets inclosing said ratchet, a pawl provided with an arm exterior to said flange, whereby it may be manipulated, and extending within said flange for engagement with the ratchet inclosed thereby, and a pawlspring inclosed by said annularflange and secured thereto, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a fence-stretcher, the combination With a fence-post, of the rotary shaft B, reduced at its lower extremity, provided with the integral hook Z), the wrench-hold B, the spline f, and the wrench-hold E the bracket D, secured to said post, and provided with a bearing for the reduced lower extremity of said shaft, the ratchet-wheel F, detachably engaged with said shaft B, and spline f, the bracket 0, provided with a bearing for the upper extremity of said shaft B, the downwardly-depending annular flange 0, upon the bracket 0, inclosing the ratchet F, the pawlseat 0, in said flange, and the pawl G, seated in said flange, and provided with the spring g, secured within said flange, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES H. SNIVELY.

Witnesses:

B. F. KELLEY, E. L. FULLERTON. 

